myTax and Etax – How do they compare?

What is the difference between doing your tax return with ATO myTax or with Etax?

Etax is different to the Australian Taxation Office’s “myGov/myTax” system, in several important ways:

• Etax is a true online tax agent service – you can get trusted help to finish your tax return – anytime, anywhere, even on mobile.
• It includes live support with people who are on your side; so an Etax Accountant checks and reviews your return before it is lodged with the ATO.
• myTax is a government system – whereas Etax is an independent Australian tax agent service that includes friendly support and advice.
• Using ATO myTax, you’re on your own. You add all of your private details and tax claims to the Federal Government’s myGov/myTax database – nobody helps you get a better refund and nobody helps you avoid trouble if something is wrong.
• Etax saves you time and provides useful information:
  • Deduction tips based on your occupation,
  • See last year’s items to help you remember what to claim*,
  • Improved auto-prefill (Etax checks ATO data to help ensure your return is trouble-free later on),
  • Less reading: Etax helps you choose the sections you need (and skip the parts you don’t need),
  • Tax refund calculator updates every time you add information to your tax return, plus
  • Help and support along the way, from qualified accountants who are on your side.
• Mistakes, or an audit? Using myTax, you are on your own dealing with the ATO enforcement agents. At Etax, our accountants will talk to the ATO for you and help resolve any issues.
• History: Etax Accountants launched Etax.com.au in August 1998 and we’ve been Australia’s favourite online tax agent ever since.
• Etax includes checking and advice… with very affordable, tax-deductible fees.
• Etax support wants to improve YOUR refund and help you steer clear of ATO trouble. The goal of Etax accountants is to make your tax return trouble-free and, simply, awesome. Well-prepared tax returns mean fewer ATO delays with your tax refund. On the other hand, the actual goals of the ATO’s myGov/myTax project are not clear, but remember the ATO’s #1 job is to collect more tax.

Do most people use myTax?

No. The ATO says the majority of tax returns are lodged with a tax agent rather than using myTax—for good reasons.

The Australian Taxation Office released statistics to the media:

MOST Australians do their taxes with a tax agent

Is myTax free? Well, sort of. The ATO spends millions of taxpayer dollars on myTax, and it appears the aim is to make myTax more popular while leading people to claim fewer tax deductions. Australians all pay for it, one way or another. Why does the Government do all of that? Remember, the ATO’s job is to collect tax revenue, not to maximise your tax refund.

The job of a tax agent like Etax is to help maximise your refund and help you avoid problems that can delay your refund or lead to strife for you with the ATO.

And tax agents’ fees are all tax-deductible. Click here to compare mytax, etax and other options.

Even Australia’s Inspector-General of Taxation, Ali Noroozi, said,

…frankly, I think every citizen is entitled to independent advice. They should not be getting all their advice from the tax office.”

Who do you trust to help get your taxes done right?

Some taxpayers believe that by going direct to the ATO they are saving money. Our experience is that people who lodge directly often miss important deductions and offsets that could save them money. The effect, over the years, could mean less money in your pocket.

Missed deductions can add up. Different reports have shown that, over time, people who self-prepare their taxes using ATO systems pay as much as $1000 more tax than those who use qualified accountants like Etax. More interesting numbers direct from the ATO:

• 38% of tax payers donated to charity and claimed the donation as a deduction.
• 65% of all tax payers claim some type of work related expenses.

Do you remember all of your deductions at tax time? Etax works hard to help you remember items you can claim and help you get the tax refund you deserve. Click here to see some of the ways Etax can make your tax return better.

A tax agent like Etax is working on YOUR side, to help find more items to claim, boost your refund and avoid ATO problems.

Etax is a registered tax agent practice and a member of Certified Practicing Accountants Australia (CPA Australia). 

All tax agent fees are tax deductible.

There has never been a better time to do your tax return at Etax.com.au. We look forward to working with you this tax season!

* Returning users can clearly see the items they claimed last year plus the details they entered last year. This saves so much time, people can finish in just a few minutes, with no appointments.

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